Do you consider Nylander a "lock" for the NHL now? What's his floor/ceiling?

[Mr Hockey*]

I expect at least 60 - 70 points out of Willie if he plays 80 games.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Reading some of the goofy trade proposals on the other board made me wonder how guys on this board view Nylander. Is he a lock to be at least a Top 6 already, or does he still have the Patrik Stefan potential to bounce back and forth for a few years before flaking out?

I haven't watched much of him so I don't have much of an intelligent opinion, but it seems like he's shaping up to be a poor man's Nicklas Backstrom (which is nothing to hang one's head about, that's a compliment not an insult). Do people on here think he's likely to reach Backstrom levels, or that's too optimistic?

If he gets injury problems that stall his development then yes. All signs point to Nylander being an at-minimum low end 2C.

 

[highslot]

kadri/bozak are our 2c. he has skills better than either. he's shiftier, better vision than both, better release than kadri, at least as fast n-s as bozak but i think faster and definitely more maneuverable.

he's a 1c. he may not be a superstar, but his ceiling is a ppg. more realistically, i'd say he'll be around career .85 in babcock's system unless the pads make a big difference.

 

[Marlander93]

It is far from being clear. Most people will understand that as 30 to 50 points.

No....just no.

 

[BigWilly]

2015-2016

Ovi 50
Kane 46
Benn 40
Tarasenko 38
Marchand 37
Crosby 36
Stamkos 36
Perry 34
Seguin 33
Tavares 33
Forsberg 33
Spezza 33
Bergeron 32
Simmonds 32
Neal 31
Toffoli 31
Saad 31
Gaudreau 30
Panarin 30
Kucherov 30
Pacioretty 30
Eriksson 30
Duchene 30
Palmeiri 30
Galchenyuk 30
Henrique 30
Jenner 30

28 players last year scoring 30 + goals. That is pretty optimistic to say that Nylander has a "good chance" at 30 goals. I would never casually say that any great NHLer has a good chance of scoring 30. Even Perry's 34 and Crosby's 36 didn't come easy. If you say he has a good chance though...

I didn't mean next season.. I meant during some seasons in his career.

Also, I see no reason why Nylander couldn't outproduce the bolded fairly quickly.

 

[crazyliver]

The poster said he would be close to a PPG player and then said he would be a 30-50 player......math is solid. 30 goals 50 assists is 80 points.....that is close to a PPG player.

I initially read this as 30-50 points too. Just what came in my mind first before the explanation.

 

[embracedbias]

Should go in the OP

18 year old SHL seasons, > 20 GP
Naslund: 39 GP, 39 pts, 1 PPG
Sandstrom: 36 GP, 36 pts, 1 PPG
Nylander: 21 GP, 20 pts, .952 PPG
D. Sedin: 50 GP, 42 pts, .84 PPG
Andersson: 38 GP, 31 pts, .816 PPG
Steen: 23 GP, 17 pts, .739 PPG
Forsberg: 39 GP, 28 pts, .718 PPG
H. Sedin: 49 GP, 34 pts, .694 PPG

18 year old AHL seasons, > 20 GP
Dome: 36 GP, 46 pts, 1.278 PPG
Pastrnak: 25 GP, 28 pts, 1.12 PPG
Nylander: 37 GP, 32 pts, .865 PPG
Filatov: 39 GP, 32 pts, .821 PPG
Prospal: 55 GP, 35 pts, .636 PPG
Bergfors: 65 GP, 40 pts, .615 PPG
Fiala: 33 GP, 20 pts, .606 PPG

19 year old AHL seasons
Spezza: 43 GP, 54 pts, 1.256 PPG
Nylander: 38 GP, 45 pts, 1.184 PPG
Rantanen: 52 GP, 60 pts, 1.154 PPG
Demitra: 41 GP, 41 pts, 1 PPG
Vrana; 36 GP, 34 pts, .944 PPG
Bergeron: 68 GP, 61 pts, .897 PPG
Voloshenko: 69 GP, 60 pts, .870 PPG
Hudler: 57 GP, 49 pts, .860 PPG
Elias: 74 GP, 63 pts, .851 PPG

 

[Auston Powers]

kadri/bozak are our 2c. he has skills better than either. he's shiftier, better vision than both, better release than kadri, at least as fast n-s as bozak but i think faster and definitely more maneuverable.

he's a 1c. he may not be a superstar, but his ceiling is a ppg. more realistically, i'd say he'll be around career .85 in babcock's system unless the pads make a big difference.

What excites me even more about this is that I can see both Kadri and Bozak having great years.

WAM (William, Auston, Mitchell) will be taking so much of the spotlight that not only will Kadri and Bozak have less pressure on them but they will FINALLY be able to be used in their proper positions. Bozak as a 3C and Kadri as a 2C. Both of them have been forced into 1C roles because we have had NOBODY else for YEARS!

It almost feels like everyone on the team will have less pressure on them in the coming years, including WAM. Because we have some actual real young talent to rely on and it's not named Kessel and it's not named Sundin.

We have so many guys chomping at the bit underneath them as well that I just can't even fathom how a Brown, Leivo, Sosh, doesn't break out as well. It's crazy. Crazy GOOD!

 

[TeamBester]

Bit of a double standard going on. It's easy to dismiss/write off when he doesn't have great numbers. When a player with great numbers comes along, you can't expect a great player?

 

[Stephen]

"The fruit doesn't fall far from the trees". Yes a timeless cliche, but a good one.


Look at his dad's career and hope he can be like that.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4017

The funny thing is, if you had followed Michael Nylander's career, he was a bit of a bust relative to his original projections as a Hartford Whalers draftee...

 

[Doug Gilmour]

The small sample from last season gives a lot of hope and room to grow yet. I can absolutely see him putting up a minimum of 50pts every season, the next couple seasons we'll have to watch his defensive game grow but if it does then with his possession numbers he could very well be our own Patrick Kane.

 

[Frelimo]

So you want Kadri to be better than he's ever shown the ability to be

The poster does say its in a "dreamer" scenario

 

[Pyrophorus]

The funny thing is, if you had followed Michael Nylander's career, he was a bit of a bust relative to his original projections as a Hartford Whalers draftee...

Seeing how Michael was a 3rd rounder, never scored 30g in any league,
I'd be a bit disappointed if he turned into his Dad (Alex can feel free too though ).

I don't know why NYR got rid of him after 2 great seasons.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

I don't want to seem like I don't support him. I think it is most likely he will play in the NHL from now on. I don't know as of now if he can net 30 goals.

 

[TheProspector]

Should go in the OP

18 year old SHL seasons, > 20 GP
Naslund: 39 GP, 39 pts, 1 PPG
Sandstrom: 36 GP, 36 pts, 1 PPG
Nylander: 21 GP, 20 pts, .952 PPG
D. Sedin: 50 GP, 42 pts, .84 PPG
Andersson: 38 GP, 31 pts, .816 PPG
Steen: 23 GP, 17 pts, .739 PPG
Forsberg: 39 GP, 28 pts, .718 PPG
H. Sedin: 49 GP, 34 pts, .694 PPG

18 year old AHL seasons, > 20 GP
Dome: 36 GP, 46 pts, 1.278 PPG
Pastrnak: 25 GP, 28 pts, 1.12 PPG
Nylander: 37 GP, 32 pts, .865 PPG
Filatov: 39 GP, 32 pts, .821 PPG
Prospal: 55 GP, 35 pts, .636 PPG
Bergfors: 65 GP, 40 pts, .615 PPG
Fiala: 33 GP, 20 pts, .606 PPG

19 year old AHL seasons
Spezza: 43 GP, 54 pts, 1.256 PPG
Nylander: 38 GP, 45 pts, 1.184 PPG
Rantanen: 52 GP, 60 pts, 1.154 PPG
Demitra: 41 GP, 41 pts, 1 PPG
Vrana; 36 GP, 34 pts, .944 PPG
Bergeron: 68 GP, 61 pts, .897 PPG
Voloshenko: 69 GP, 60 pts, .870 PPG
Hudler: 57 GP, 49 pts, .860 PPG
Elias: 74 GP, 63 pts, .851 PPG

Yup. And the era-adjusted scoring rate for Nylander's 18yo SHL season is actually even substantially better than that yet.

Dude is ****ing good.

 

[Purity*]

Should go in the OP

18 year old SHL seasons, > 20 GP
Naslund: 39 GP, 39 pts, 1 PPG
Sandstrom: 36 GP, 36 pts, 1 PPG
Nylander: 21 GP, 20 pts, .952 PPG
D. Sedin: 50 GP, 42 pts, .84 PPG
Andersson: 38 GP, 31 pts, .816 PPG
Steen: 23 GP, 17 pts, .739 PPG
Forsberg: 39 GP, 28 pts, .718 PPG
H. Sedin: 49 GP, 34 pts, .694 PPG

18 year old AHL seasons, > 20 GP
Dome: 36 GP, 46 pts, 1.278 PPG
Pastrnak: 25 GP, 28 pts, 1.12 PPG
Nylander: 37 GP, 32 pts, .865 PPG
Filatov: 39 GP, 32 pts, .821 PPG
Prospal: 55 GP, 35 pts, .636 PPG
Bergfors: 65 GP, 40 pts, .615 PPG
Fiala: 33 GP, 20 pts, .606 PPG

19 year old AHL seasons
Spezza: 43 GP, 54 pts, 1.256 PPG
Nylander: 38 GP, 45 pts, 1.184 PPG
Rantanen: 52 GP, 60 pts, 1.154 PPG
Demitra: 41 GP, 41 pts, 1 PPG
Vrana; 36 GP, 34 pts, .944 PPG
Bergeron: 68 GP, 61 pts, .897 PPG
Voloshenko: 69 GP, 60 pts, .870 PPG
Hudler: 57 GP, 49 pts, .860 PPG
Elias: 74 GP, 63 pts, .851 PPG

Damn those are impressive numbers. He most definitely has the potential to become a gamebreaker in this league, on top of us already having 2 other potential gamebreakers. What an insane time to be a Leafs fan.

 

[Babcocks Marner]

18-32 = 50

45 was our highest last year. I think 4 players go over 45 this year.

 

[Trapper]

This thread reminds me of the Simpsons episode.
My lock and shoe in of the week.

 

[Jack Bauer]

This thread reminds me of the Simpsons episode.
My lock and shoe in of the week.

Most of the same people lately posting the most extreme opinions in these threads.

 

[Trapper]

Most of the same people lately posting the most extreme opinions in these threads.

.

I try not to put expectations on these players. Like Kadri must get 50 or fail. Matthews must win Calder or we wasted our first overall.
Forget the points. Just show us you can play, improve, work together (and get better as a team). Show us you can make a difference as part of the team with your skill set. 20-49, 30-50, 200-1000 will take care of itself.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I try not to put expectations on these players. Like Kadri must get 50 or fail. Matthews must win Calder or we wasted our first overall.
Forget the points. Just show us you can play, improve, work together (and get better as a team). Show us you can make a difference as part of the team with your skill set. 20-49, 30-50, 200-1000 will take care of itself.

Exactly.

It's going to be a long winter for those expecting all 3 top prospects to hit 50+ points and this team to be in the playoff hunt.

Almost all history you can review tells you that's simply not going to happen. If it does, we will gladly accept the success. But to expect it....laughable.

Get better every day and grow as a cohesive unit. Everything else will take care of itself in time.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Ceiling: Backstrom
Floor: middle 6 winger maybe? Sam Gagner lol?

 

[Bodybr3ak]

Too early to tell what his floor/ceiling is but he is definitely never playing another AHL game.

 

[hamzarocks]

His ceiling should be around a ppg player who will have playoff series in which he's the best player on the leafs. Nylander will be an NHLer. For people saying he is either top 6 or bust I don't agree. He played with garbage last year as a rook and was on pace for 50 pt. I think him not hitting his ceiling would be staying at the level he was as a rookie. BUT he works way to hard to not get better as he gets more mins and better linemates. Nylander being(imo) our 3rd best young player is pretty crazy. I can't wait to see a Matthews, Marner, Nylander pp with Rielly and hopefully a big dmen woth a bomb of a shot (nielson ) or a guy like brown on it. This season can't come soon enough.

 

[Mr Hockey*]

you guys should all go and vote for Willie in the prospect polls section, Willie is getting crushed by Promorov, in a head to head pole.